An Eternity Among Dust
by Nerva al'Thor
Summary: The story of Alice, and her long wait for her master who was never coming back.


_I haven't written any RO fics for a long time, so here it is. It was inspired by **White Shadows** by Coldplay, the song that was repeating as I typed it. This is dedicated to **Murasame Kei**._

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* * *

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"Where are you going?"

The silver-haired one paused on his tracks.

"Down."

"Where down?" continued the elder, who was, as always, sitting by his shack.

"Just down."

"You know what to do."

"Of course."

There was a momentary flurry of light, and the silver-haired one found himself in the middle of a bustling street filled with frail humans. He clutched his hood tighter around his face and moved swiftly, careful to keep away from the humans. And then he came to an ancient castle where some young adventurers were seeking out monsters and killing them. He watched their faintly interesting activities from the shadows, careful to conceal his radiance from them.

"Over there!"

"Shoot it with fire, Kathryne! Shoot it with fire!"

"I need a bottle of blue potion -."

"A little help around here, please!"

He smiled faintly at their struggle. Just then a second girl – he saw that she had red eyes, even from afar – rounded the corner, absent-mindedly sweeping the floor. She was walking straight toward the children.

"Look, it's _her._"

"I bet she's an easy kill."

"I'll go first."

A thief charged forward toward the broomstick girl, who seemed surprised they were there. She raised her broom as if to whack the thief with it.

"Kathryne, I bet your lightning can kill her in one shot!"

"Hey, watch out for her shoes, we can sell that for a fair price."

"I get her hairband!"

"Go get her, Wike!"

He could see that the broomstick girl was panicking as the children advanced on to her. He hesitated. Well, perhaps he could bend a few rules... he raised a single, clawed finger.

"What the? Where did she go?"

"Kathryne, use your Sight. She might be hiding."

"Fool, she can't hide, much less conceal herself with a cloak!"

"Then where is she?"

He moved away from the children's confusion, a faintly shimmering egg clutched safe in his hands...

* * *

The broomstick girl was incredibly shy. She kept silent and kept to corners where she continued her little obsession of sweeping dust even though there was none; she hesitated everytime he offered her a bottle of white potion. At first he even had to raise his voice just to make her take the bottle and drink. Such was her shyness. He hid her in one of the abandoned temples in Midgard, because he surely would not be able to take her home. The result was his extended periods of absences from the abode of the immortals. 

That day he was lying on the grass, watching the clouds pass by. She was of course nearby; during the course of their relationship, she had come to tailing him everywhere he went, sweeping the path where his foot had fallen. She was still doing the same with her flimsy little broomstick, patting down her apron and skirt every now and then.

He looked at her briefly. The apron suited her. He asked one of the Valkyries, Randgris, to make it for her. The Valkyrie was all too happy to agree and immediate began sewing.

He returned his gaze to the clouds.

"I can do anything you want, master. I can shop, prepare dinner and clean the house...I can do anything you imagine!"

That threw him off guard. He sat up, silver locks flashing. She had stopped sweeping and was looking at him. She was smiling, and her eyes shone with love.

"Alice loves her master very much." She said, and bowed deeply, her hair swinging forward.

What a sweet surprise. Smiling, he raised his left hand and beckoned to her. She came near and sat down, folding her legs daintily beneath her.

"Are you looking at the sky, master?"

His ears gave a twitch. Maybe she could learn a few tricks.

"Listen. I will teach you Healing..."

She nodded eagerly, watching his glowing hands as if they were all that mattered in the world...

* * *

Today they stood above the elf-city of Geffenia. He was watching the elves move down their shimmering streets, hands on his hips. She was, as always, patiently keeping the area around him as dust-free as she could. 

"Master, did you find a pretty girl...?"

The question made him sputter. He turned to her, his eyebrows raised, his ears twitching madly. She bowed and gave a light laugh.

"Before master came into Alice's life, she lived a lonesome life in a large castle. I love cleaning the castle. But the castle was so big I had a hard time cleaning it. I was also always very filthy."

He watched her with interest. She momentarily stopped sweeping and gestured lightly.

"I had a cat. Sometimes I miss my cat. She was about this size, and I called her Wild Rose."

He smiled at her.

"I have a dream, master. I want to design maids' uniforms one day. Don't you think it is a nice idea?"

He nodded. A group of elves noticed him watching them, and below the city, trouble brewed. The elven women fled at the sight of him, bringing their children. The men started throwing rocks, while some hurled fireballs.

"Monster!"

"Go away!"

"Take your evil away!"

"Abomination!"

"Cursed flesh of Loki!"

He took a step back, hurt. She bravely went forward and brandished her flimsy broomstick as if it were a spear for all she cared.

"Stop throwing rocks at Alice's master!"

He had a hand on her shoulder, and in a flurry of light, took them both away from the place. They appeared by the gentle sloping foothills of Mjolnir.

She was crying, sobbing gently into her hands.

"Why are you crying?" he asked her.

"Because...because Alice is hurt. She does not like seeing master being hurt, for she feels his pain as well..."

He knelt before her and embraced her.

"Stop crying. I am all right. I am all right."

* * *

"This is going to be your new home." 

He led her into a splendid castle. It was just right, and he had sealed it with runes so that she would be safe always.

"Will master always visit Alice?"

He turned to her and had a loving hand on her cheek. Amber eyes looked into scarlet ones.

"Will you promise to wait for me?"

"Alice will wait for as long as master wants, because Alice loves master very much."

"I've got to go away."

"Where is master going?"

He could not answer.

"Alice will wait, even if it takes forever. I will keep this lovely castle clean for master. Alice will love every wall, every stone, every window, for this castle is master's gift to her."

"Good-bye, Alice."

"Good-bye, master."

* * *

The ages waned. The rune sealings gradually weakened and faded. Adventurers discovered the castle and joined Time in its everlasting pillage. Other monsters gradually claimed their territories in the castle. The windows were no longer shiny. The carpet and the curtains have become darkened by muck and dust. The lovely portraits have lost their color and fell into decay. Glass broke. Wood rotted. The walls were claimed by moss and other crawling plants. 

She was still doing what she had done best. She stood humming in what had been a splendid library, sweeping the floor patiently. She did not mind the rot and decay that surrounded her.

"I was having a fine time."

"O, now that's a lie..."

"No, seriously, I was..."

"Be quiet, the two of you."

She froze and hid behind one of the tottering bookshelves as humans passed outside the door. She waited until they were gone before she continued her only work. She did not sense another human.

"A...an Alice."

She turned around. He was a wizard. With flaming red hair that seemed to follow its own hairstyle. His eyes...

"Master!"

Her broomstick dropped to the dusty floor. She flung herself before his feet and hugged him by his waist. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Master, Alice has waited for you. I am so sorry! I am so sorry! I am so sorry! I have failed to keep the castle clean! I am so sorry! I am so sorry!"

The wizard was alarmed. Here was a demi-human calling him master. He tried to push her away.

"Get away from me. Get off. Get off."

"Master could have no idea how lonely Alice was! O, master! O, master!"

"I do not know you. I am not your master!"

She buried her face into his robes. It was him, she knew. She knew his scent. She knew his eyes. His lovely, golden eyes.

"Master! Master! Master! Please do not leave Alice anymore!"

The wizard had no choice. He did not like what she was saying. He did not like anything that pertained to his supposed relation with the Bringer of Ragnarök, the Wolf God Fenrir.

"This is the last time, demi-human! Let me go!"

"Master! _Oh, Master Fenrir_!"

Amber eyes flashed in anger and humiliation.

"_I am NOT Fenrir_!"

Flames engulfed her, eating away at her precious, precious apron. The pain was terrible, but it was nothing compared to the pain that ate at her heart. Her eyes burned into his, as she reached up with her burning hands in final supplication.

"Master Fenrir, why? Why? Why did you do this to Alice...?"

The wizard fled the room in great fear, leaving the burning heap to die on itself in the gloomy library...


End file.
